Alan Jackson Extends Farewell Tour Amid Health Battle: “I’m Going to Give Them the Best Show”
NASHVILLE — Country music legend Alan Jackson is proving once again that his bond with fans runs deeper than the stage lights. On Thursday, the 67-year-old star announced that he will extend his “Last Call: One More for the Road Tour,” despite continuing to battle Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a chronic neurological condition he has lived with for more than a decade.
“Fans know when they come to my shows, they’re going to hear the songs that made me who I am — the ones they love,” Jackson said in a statement on his official website. “I’ve been touring for over 30 years — my daughters are all grown, we have one grandchild and one on the way. I’m enjoying spending more time at home. But my fans always show up to have a good time, and I’m going to give them the best show I can for this ‘Last Call.’”
The announcement is both uplifting and bittersweet. Marketed as a “final chance” for audiences to experience Jackson live, the tour offers fans across the country one more opportunity to hear his most iconic songs — from “Chattahoochee” and “Gone Country” to “Remember When” and “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).”
Living and Performing With a Debilitating Condition
Jackson first revealed his diagnosis publicly in 2021, though he had been battling symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease since 2011. The hereditary neuropathy affects motor skills, leading to muscle weakness, loss of balance, and difficulties walking. For a performer whose stage presence has been a hallmark of his career, the disease has posed painful challenges.
“I have this neuropathy and neurological disease,” Jackson explained during a candid interview on NBC’s Today show. “It’s genetic that I inherited from my daddy. There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years. And it’s getting more and more obvious.”
The two-time Grammy winner admitted that the condition has left him self-conscious on stage. “I know I’m stumbling around stage now. I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone. I just feel very uncomfortable,” he said.
Despite these struggles, Jackson emphasized that being open about his diagnosis has brought a sense of relief. “It’s good for me to get it out in the open,” he explained. “If anybody’s curious why I don’t walk right, that’s why.”
A Career Built on Authenticity
Since debuting in the late 1980s, Alan Jackson has become one of country music’s defining voices, blending honky-tonk traditions with heartfelt storytelling. With more than 60 million records sold worldwide and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017, his impact is undeniable.
What makes his farewell tour especially poignant is that it comes at a time when his health is faltering, yet his creative spirit remains undiminished. Jackson has continued to write and record, even as touring becomes increasingly difficult.
“I’m always scribbling down ideas and thinking about melodies … I feel like there’ll be some more music to come, yes,” he revealed on his daughter Mattie Jackson’s In Joy Life podcast in 2023.
For Jackson, songwriting remains the heart of his artistry. “Writing songs is more fulfilling than anything,” he said. “You can be a singer and go out and tour, but it’s kind of like you’re just doing the same thing over and over. When you make an album, especially when you write a lot of the songs for it, that’s creating something. It’s a challenge, so it keeps you interested a little more. If I didn’t write, I think I would’ve gotten bored just singing a long time ago.”
A Farewell Tour With Heart
Though his health limits how often he can perform, Jackson’s decision to extend the “Last Call” tour speaks volumes about his devotion to fans. Currently, only a handful of arena dates are scheduled, but more may follow depending on his strength.
The shows are expected to be both a celebration of his decades-long career and a deeply emotional farewell. For fans, each performance is more than just a concert — it is a final memory with one of country music’s greatest storytellers.
As Alan Jackson faces his health challenges with honesty and grace, his determination to give audiences “the best show” underscores the humility and grit that made him beloved in the first place.
The “Last Call” may mark the end of his touring days, but it also cements his legacy as an artist who gave everything — even in the face of adversity — to the music and fans who made him a legend.